Around 2,500 fighters from across the country, including black belters, will take part in one of the biggest and exciting events of the year — the 2026 SMART/MVPSF Best of the Best Taekwondo Championships — on 5 and 6 September in two different venues inside the Rizal Memorial Sports Complex.

The two-day event is organized by the Philippine Taekwondo Association (PTA) to honor Smart Communications and PLDT big boss Manny Pangilinan, who has poured in a great amount of resources for over decade now to spot and train future Filipino champions.

Like PTA Grandmaster Sung-Chon Hong, Pangilinan is also eager to see a Filipino win an Olympic gold medal especially in the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.

No Filipino fighters have reached the Olympic podium since Stephen Fernandez (bantamweight) and Bea Lucero (featherweight) won bronze medals when the popular Korean martial art was held as a demonstration sport during the 1992 Barcelona Games.

The Kyorugi (free sparring) competition will take place at the Rizal Memorial Coliseum, while the Poomsae (forms) will be held at the Rizal Taekwondo Training Center.

Given the expected fierce competition, only the best and toughest fighters from the different branches of the Armed Forces of the Philippines, the Philippine National Police, the University Athletic Association of the Philippines, the National Collegiate Athletic Association, and high-level black belt organizations such as the Taekwondo Blackbelt Brotherhood can compete in the event.

The tournament will feature Senior, Junior, Cadet, Grade School and Toddler categories, with separate divisions for male and female competitors. In Poomsae, the categories are Recognized Poomsae Individual, Team, Pair and Freestyle Poomsae.